Once Upon A Time
by But Friends Make Secrets
Summary: Peter can't sleep, so what do the Marauders do? Why tell him a story of course! Long one shot. Please read! Summary doesn't do it justice! EDIT: Also, now with like, a bazillion less spelling mistakes!


**Ok, this is by far the longest story I've written so far (Which I guess isn't saying much as I haven't written much) but none-the-less, I am actually quite proud of this. I've been working on it for a while, so now you can also expect more updates for my other story (in case you were wondering). I hope you enjoy!**

Normal is, well, normal.

_Italics is the fairy tale._

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters (it's 12:26 in the morning. I'm too tired for a creative disclaimer...).

* * *

**

It was late at night at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Well… ok it was only 11, but most of the school was in bed none the less. Among the peaceful sleepers was one Peter Pettigrew, one of the four Messrs of the Marauders. Said Marauders would normally never be caught in bed so early, but they had had a long day of tests and pranks and couldn't bring themselves to stay up late, even if it was a Friday. However, Peter was not sleeping peaceful like the majority of the school. In fact, he wasn't sleeping at all. He was tossing and turning, desperately trying to fall asleep.

He groaned and turned on his back to stare at the ceiling. He tried counting hippogriffs, but it didn't work. He cast a quiet spell to listen to some music, but that didn't help either. He also tried a silencing spell, but it ended up being _too_ quiet. Finally, he sighed and stood up, walking over to the bed of Remus Lupin. He shook his shoulder and whispered.

"Hey, Remus?"

"gmmf…"

"Remus, wake up!"

"Hmm, huh? Peter?" Remus rolled over and glanced at his bedside table.

"Peter its 11:13! I've only been sleeping for half an hour!"

"I couldn't sleep."

"Well what do you want me to do about it?"

"I don't know…" Remus sighed in frustration and turned back over.

"Try counting hippogriffs or something."

"I tried that already!"

"Music?"

"Tried that too."

"Silencing spell?"

"That too." Remus gave another sigh before sitting up in bed. He rubbed his eyes and reached over to turn on the lamp next to his bed. Then, to Peter's surprise, he calmly picked up his pillow and chucked it at the bed next to his. Sirius groaned and sat up, taking the pillow off his head.

"What the heck? Remus it's like, 11: 15! Why'd you wake me up?"

"Peter couldn't sleep."

"So he woke you up?"

"Yeah."

"And you woke me up."

"Yup."

"Why!?" Remus shrugged and Sirius groaned again. He then took the pillow Remus had thrown at his and threw it at the bed next to him. James groaned and sat up, taking the pillow of his head.

"What the… It's 11: 16! Sirius, what gives!?"

"Peter couldn't sleep." James glanced across the room and put the pieces together.

"So he woke Remus up?"

"Yup."

"And he woke you up."

"Uh huh."

"And you woke me up."

"Yeah."

"Why!?"

"If I have to get up, I'm taking you with me."

"You're a good friend…" After that, the four friends got up and gathered on Peter's bed.

"So you can't sleep, huh?"

"Nope."

"Hmm… Any one know a sleeping spell?"

"No. I know a sleeping _potion_, but it takes two days to make and I highly doubt Madam Pomfrey will give you any."

"Well, what can we do?" The Marauders thought for a few moments before James jumped up.

"Oh! Oh! I know what we can do!"

"Well, don't just stand there like a fool! Tell us!" James sat back down, grinning.

"We can tell him a story!" The other three exchanged glances.

"…A story?"

"Yup. Like, a fairytale or something."

"And you came up with this… how?" James blushed a little.

"Well, that's what my mom always used to do for me when I couldn't sleep."

"Aw, Wittle-Jamesy needed a bedtime story." Sirius grinned as he pinched James' cheek. James hit his hand away.

"Oh, shut up! I don't see you coming up with any ideas."

"True enough. Well, we might as well give it a shot." Remus nodded and turned to James.

"Since it was your idea, why don't you start?" James thought for a moment before grinning.

"Sure!" He cleared his throat. "Once upon a time-"

"Really? 'Once upon a time?" Sirius interrupted.

"It is a little corny." Peter added. James huffed.

"Fine, fine! Uh… It was a dark and stormy night-"

"Why does everything happen at night? I always feel more happens during the day." This time it was Remus who interrupted. James groaned again.

"Alright! Fine! It was the middle of the afternoon with perfectly normal, partially cloudy, warm weather. Happy now?" There were nods all around. "Then I'll continue…"

* * *

_It was the middle of the afternoon with perfectly normal, partially cloudy, warm weather. Our hero, Sir James Potter, bravest Knight in all of Hogwarts-land was riding through the kingdom of Gryffindoria. He dismounted his noble steed and walked up to the castle where he was to be wed to the beautiful Princess Lillian. However, upon arriving, he was met with the teary faces of the King and Queen. They cried out, "Oh, woe is us! Our lovely daughter has been stolen away!" Sir James was immediately at their side._

"_My lords, pray tell what has become of the fair maiden?"_

"_She was taking a walk through the gardens when she was kidnapped by the evil wizard, Snivillus Snape."_

"_Where has he taken her?"_

"_He trapped her in the highest tower of the abandoned Castle of Slytherinia, a land far away from here." Sir James jumped to his feet._

"_Fear not! For I shall rescue dear Lillian and return her safely to your arms. And then, we shall finally be wed!" The crowd cheered as he ran from the Castle, jumped on his horse and rode away._

_He rode for hours until he reached the ancient and mystical forest on the edge of Gryffindoria. Here, he left his horse, for the terrain was too rough for horseback. He walked through the forest, drawing his sword to cut down any plants in his way. He constantly checked his surroundings, wary for there were many strange and dangerous creatures that lurked the forest and he was determined not to let anything catch him off guard. _

_After much walking, he arrived at a clearing. He was shocked as he saw in the middle of it, a large mansion, as big as the grand castle in Gryffindoria, probably bigger! He slowly and carefully made his way towards the building. As he got closer, he noticed a figure standing guard at the door. He held his sword in front of him as he found himself, face to face, with none other than… The Black Knight!_

* * *

"Really? 'The Black Knight'?"

"Just go with it will you!"

"One of these days, I'm going to snap from the puns and you'll be the first one I kill!"

"Will you two shut up and go on with the story already!"

"Alright! Alright! Geez…"

* * *

_The Black Knight drew his sword as well._

"_Halt!" Sir James stopped in his tracks, but kept his weapon drawn._

"_Who goes there?"_

"_Sir James Potter of Gryffindoria!"_

"_Only those with the purest blood of Slytherinia may pass through here!"_

"_What!?" The Black Knight sighed._

"_I know. Stupid isn't it? But I don't make the rules, I'm just forced to enforce them." He looked James up and down. "What're you doing here anyway?"_

"_I'm going to save the fair Princess Lillian from the wicked Snivillus Snape!" The Black Knight nodded._

"_Well that seems like and noble enough cause. And you seem like a nice enough guy. Not to mention I hate Snivillus, so I'll cut you a deal!" _

"_Name your price!"_

"_You free me from the clutches of the evil House of Black," He gestured to the chain around his ankle that bound him to the mansion behind him, "and not only will I let you pass, but I shall assist you in you quest!" James nodded._

"_I agreed to your terms!" He raised his sword high in the air and brought in swinging down to the chain that bound The Black Knight. "YEAAAHHH!!!" However, he found himself shocked as the blade did nothing to damage the chain. The Black Knight rolled his eyes._

"_Gee, hitting it with a sword. Why didn't I think of that?"_

"_Hey! I'm trying to help you here! I could do with a little less sarcasm."_

"_Fine, fine…" James continues attacking the chain, but could not break it. He kneeled down to inspect it, but as he did so, he heard a loud rumbling coming from the house in front of him. The sky turned dark and he noticed lighting shooting from the clouds._

"_What happened to the 'perfectly normal, partially cloudy, warm weather'?"_

"_Oh no! You've awakened the Black Beasts!" Sure enough, as they both turned to look, they watched as three large, black dragons erupted from the roof, roaring and breathing fire._

"_RAAAAAWWRRRR, I SMELL IMPURE BLOOD ON OUR LAND!" One of the creatures roared. The smallest one turned to see the two figures on the ground._

"_THERE! ONE OF OUR OWN IS ASSOCIATING WITH THE IMPURE ONE!" it screeched. The other two roared again and flew to the ground, the three surrounded the two nights, who stood back to back, weapons drawn, prepared for battle. The largest let out a great blast of fire which Sir James only just managed to block with his shield. The Black Knight struck out at the other two, but barely scratched them. They fought and dodged all attacks thrown at them, but couldn't gain the upper hand. Suddenly, something shown and caught Sir James' eye. For the first time he noticed what the largest dragon had around his neck._

"_Black! He's got the key to release you!" The Black Knight turned. He saw this and immediately began attacking the great creature while Sir James took the other two. He attacked it with all his might, but could not reach the key. James turned and, suddenly getting an idea, ran from the other two dragons toward the Black Knight and the third dragon. As he was running, he gave a mighty yell and threw his sword as hard as he could at the dragon's neck. The weapon flew through the air and, while it only gave the dragon a small cut, it managed to sever the chain holding the key around it's neck. The key fell into the Black Knight's hand and he quickly fit it into the shackle around his ankle, freeing him at last._

"_Yes!"_

"_Celebrate later, Black. We've still got a bit of a problem!" And indeed, the beasts were now even angrier._

"_I've got an idea! There is a pit not far from here that was cursed and filled with lava. If we can lead them there, we might be able to defeat them!" The two noble knights nodded at each other and took of running into the forest. As expected, the creatures followed them through the air. Soon enough, they arrived. The dragons landed outside the pit and roared as they began attacking the two again. They looked around, desperate for a way to defeat these demons. Then, Sir James caught sight of an ancient rotting tree. Struck by inspiration, he ran towards it, yelling at his counterpart,_

"_Black! You hold them off until I'm ready!" Seeing what he was doing, The Black Knight did as he was told while James began furiously striking the tree. Due to the rotting wood, it did not take long for James to cut through it. _

"_Look out!" Hearing his cry, The Black Knight immediately ran away from the dragons to where James was standing. The beasts were not able to react fast enough as the tree fell, hitting the largest one and creating a domino effect as they crashed into each other, causing all three dragons as well as the tree to fall into the molten lava. _

_The two nights listened as the roars died away within the lava. Sir James spoke first._

"_Well that was a close one."_

"_Indeed. You have freed me from the House of Black and for that I will be forever in your debt."_

"_It was my pleasure. You are an honorable companion Black Knight."_

"_Please, call me Sirius." The two grinned and shook hands._

"_Now, I believe you said something about saving a princess?"_

* * *

_They trudged deep into the forest, leaving the molten pit and ancient house far behind them. They traveled for hours, never resting. Deeper, and deeper they went and soon the trees were so tall and thick, it blocked all sunlight, giving the illusion of night (although it very well could have been night by then, they couldn't be sure). The darkness closed in on them, making them more wary. The forest was filled with strange noises that took on a sinister feeling within the darkness. As they were walking, a twig snapped._

"_Gah! What was that!?"_

"_C-calm down James. I'm sure it was n-nothing…" They both jumped as they hear the low hooting of an owl. They snapped their heads around as the caws of another strange bird echoed through the trees. They suddenly found themselves clutching each other for dear life as a toad croaked loudly. Noticing their position, they quickly pulled away from each other, blushing slightly._

"_Eh hum, l-like I said… nothing…"_

"_Er, right… hehe, just, ah, startled me…" However, moments later, they found themselves back in each other's arms as a great howl rang through the air._

"_Ok, maybe not nothing." They turned around as they heard a raspy breath behind them. The branches rustled as a deep voice growled at them._

"_Why do you disturb my sleep?" The two knights straightened and Sir James took a step forward, trying to appear brave._

"_Why do you not show yourself to us?"_

"_I am a being, too terrible to be looked upon with anything other than fear. Go now, and spare yourselves the horror." The two companions glanced at each other. Sirius spoke next._

"_Surely, you can't be all bad if you wish our wellbeing."_

"_He speaks wisely. Come forward so we may see you."_

"_Nooo, you will only run in fear. Leave now, so I may have peace."_

"_Perhaps if you come out, we may be of assistance."_

"_You cannot help me…"_

"_Well how will you know if you don't give us a chance?"_

"_hmmm…"_

"_We shall make you a deal!"_

"_A deal?"_

"_Yes. If you agree to accompany us on our quest, we shall find some way to assist you."_

"_Surely, you cannot mean that?"_

"_Trust us, and we shall help you in any way we can."_

"_Hmmm… Alright…"_

"_Well, come on then. Come out!" The two knights watched as the leaves rustled more, parting slowly, revealing a claw, a tail, two bright yellow eyes, until there before them stood… A Wolf Man!!!_

* * *

"WHAT!?!!"

"Come on, lighten up Moony!"

"'Wolf Man'? Your making me a '**Wolf Man'**!?"

"Oh, get over it."

"Grrr…"

"See! You're already in character!"

"I'm one step away from punching you."

"Uh, guys? The story?"

"Ugh, fine. I'm letting it go THIS TIME!"

"Yay!"

"Eh hum…"

"Sorry. Please continue…"

"Right, now where were we…"

* * *

_The Black Knight and Sir James were shocked by what they saw, but not afraid as the beast has expected. Sirius, grinning, leaned over to James and whispered sarcastically,_

"_I thought we were saving the beauty, not the beast!"_

* * *

"Pushing it…" Remus growled warningly.

"What?"

"I take offense to that!"

"Whatever, I'm ignoring you two…"

* * *

"_You truly are brave knights to not fear a creature such as myself." _

"_Nonsense! We shall do everything in our power to lift this curse from you!"_

"_Now, what do we have to do?"_

"_The only way to lift the curse of the wolf is to drink the nectar of the Lunar Flower."_

"_Well that doesn't sound too challenging."_

"_Oh, but it is. You see, the Lunar Flower is very rare and only blossoms on the night of the full moon. The closest one that I know of lies in a village at the very center of Hogwarts-land. The villagers there fear me greatly and would never let me anywhere near their home, let alone their priceless flower."_

"_I see…"_

"_Well, what if we went and got the flower for you?"_

"_You may try, but I doubt the people will think very highly of your coming to take the plant."_

"_Well, we've got to start somewhere."_

"_I suppose…"_

"_You wait here, Sir James and I shall venture to this village and scout out the area to come up with a plan."_

"_Alright. I shall await your return." And with that, the two knights ventured forth towards their new goal._

_

* * *

_

_Sir James and The Black Knight each sighed with relief as they finally exited the dark forest. They looked around and found themselves standing on a hill top, gazing over the village the Wolf Man had spoken of. Of course both had heard of it. It lay at the very heart of Hogwarts-land and was home to King Dumbledore, ruler of all of Hogwarts-land. Along with this, it was one of the few places that representative from all four neighboring kingdoms could meet in peace and discuss any conflicts or happenings of any kind. The friends glanced at each other before heading down the path into the village. _

_Upon entering, they found themselves consumed by the bustling crowds, all cheerily talking and laughing, stopping at venders to buy produce or just for a break from walking. The two knights were hardly noticed by the people they passed. Slowly, they made their way to the town square. As they arrived, they saw before them a large square plot of land, surrounded by a small stone wall. In the center, they was a tall plant with bright green, curly leaves and a large bulb in the center that would bloom on the night of the full moon, just that night._

_They looked around and watched as the villagers walked around the square, but even those in conversations seemed to hush themselves in the presence of the flower, gazing at it lovingly; the pride of their village. Sirius looked over at James._

"_He wasn't kidding mate. We can't just walk up and take it!"_

"_You're right. But what else can we do?"_

"_Well, maybe if we took it, but promised to bring it back?"_

"_You mean, dig it up- and then re-plant it?"_

"_Yeah."_

"_Hm. They might go for that. Let's go ask." They walked up to a woman who was standing before the flower, looking like she was guarding it. _

"_Excuse us?" The woman turned to look at them and seemed immediately skeptical. _

"_Yes?"_

"_Uh, we were wondering…about the flower…"_

"_We need it for a friend of ours."_

"_We were wondering if we could take it"_

"_and then bring it back"_

"_to re-plant it?…Maybe?" James added on the last part as he looked at the woman's face, which looked absolutely livid._

"_**Take**__ the Lunar Flower!? How dare you even suggest such a thing!" She continued to screech at them, which drew quite a crowd. As people began understanding her words, they too joined in yelling at the two until practically a mob had formed._

"_SILENCE!" The voice boomed through the square. James and Sirius watched as the crowd parted to allow none other than King Dumbledore himself through the chaos. Soon, he stood before the two knights and still fuming woman, him robes billowing around him, giving him a powerful, regal look. Yet he did not seem frightening. In fact, the twinkle in his eye gave him a very friendly feel._

"_What is the cause of this disturbance on such a fine day?" He turned to the woman first._

"_Governess McGonagall?"_

"_These…__**two**__" McGonagall spat out the word and pointed accusingly at them._

"_Wanted to take the lunar flower."_

"_And why would that be?" She blinked a few times at the question._

"_I'm not sure. But I'm sure whatever their reason is it's simply preposterous." Dumbledore turned to the boys, smiling._

"_Well there's only one way to find out, now isn't there?"_

"_Your majesty, our friend in the forest must drink the nectar of the Lunar Flower to lift a terrible curse off of him."_

"_Hmm, the only curse I know of with such a cure is that of the Wolf Man, correct?" As the two nodded, all Hell broke loose in the crowd. There were shouts of terror and disgust, cries of monster and demon and death. Dumbledore lifted his hand and there was silence again. However, McGonagall spoke up._

"_Sir, we cannot let them take our precious flower away to such a terrible being!" The King seemed deep in thought. After several moments, he spoke again._

"_No, the flower should not be moved…" There was an eruption of cheers before the crowd was silenced again._

"…_So he shall have to come here." The crowd was once again in an uproar, screaming about the safety of the people and dangers of the Wolf. The two knights however, just looked on in shock._

"_You… you want us to bring him here?" Dumbledore smiled and his eyes twinkled._

"_I don't see why not. I cannot judge the boy, for I have not met him, but if you can judge a man based on his friends, I would say he's a fine young lad." The three smiled, ignoring the crowd surrounding them. Silence was brought again by the King._

"_It is settled. The boy shall come tonight and then, if all goes well there shall be no more need to even worry about the Wolf Man." The crowd murmured as they realized the pros and cons of the situation. While they were going over everything, James and Sirius took off running back into the forest to tell their friends of the good news._

_

* * *

_

_That night, Sir James and The Black Knight emerged from the forest for the second time. They looked behind them to find golden eyes, still hidden in the darkness of the forest. _

"_Come on, we haven't got all night!"_

"_Maybe this isn't such a good idea…"_

"_You have to come! It's the only was for the curse to be broken!" The beast sighed and hesitatingly stepped out from behind the trees._

"_Alright, let's go." The three made their way down the hill. They were cautious as they entered the town, which was silent and seemingly deserted. After a moment, they found Governess McGonagall waiting for them. While still noticeably tense, she seemed to have calmed down greatly from that morning (the result of a long lecture with king Dumbledore). She nodded at the three and looked at the Wolf Man._

"_Good evening. I am Governess McGonagall. I have been appointed your protector for tonight." She seemed a little shocked when the Wolf Man gave her a polite bow._

"_I used to be known as Remus Lupin, though none have referred to me by that name in many years." Shaking off her initial shock, McGonagall gave the creature a small smile._

"_Well Mr. Lupin, if you would follow me this way." The four made their way to the town square. They were almost at the flower when suddenly, a man emerged from a nearby cottage. Yelling obscenities to the sky, the man threw a broken bottle at them. Although clearly aiming for the beast among them, his aim was off and the weapon was instead heading for Governess McGonagall. Before the others had a chance to react, Remus had stepping in front of the Governess, the glass biting into his arm, causing him to howl in pain. The man, though happy to have hit is target, was still frightened back into his house by the howl._

_His two friends were immediately at his side._

"_Are you alright?" Sirius asked, concerned. Remus nodded, pulling out the glass and throwing it to the ground._

"_Yeah. It's just a cut." McGonagall walked over to him and helped him to feet, smiling._

"_Well Mr. Lupin, it seems that I have misjudged you. I am eternally grateful for your action this evening. Now, I believe you had a flower to visit?" Remus smiled and followed her the rest of the way. _

_Remus was practically shaking with excitement as he reached the flower. He kneeled down before it, gently taking its newly bloomed petals into his hand, the soft pink a sharp contrast to his dark furred hands. He softly squeezed the flower till some of the clear nectar dripped down into his parted lips._

_The three onlookers watched in awe as the boy changed before their eyes. The fur melted away, the claws shrank, the eyes shifted from a glowing yellow to a soft chocolate brown. Soon, a man with a weigh lifted off his shoulders stood before them. _

_Remus turned around as he heard footsteps approaching. After a moment, king Dumbledore stepped into the light. He looked down at the boy in front of him._

"_Remus Lupin, was it?" He smiled and extended his hand as he received a silent nod. _

"_Welcome to Hogwarts-land."_

_

* * *

_

_After Sir James and the Black Knight finally managed to calm down Remus, who had been simply ecstatic at actually being accepted into Hogwarts-Land, and got his arm bandaged, the now three friends were off once again towards Slytherinia._

_As they traveled, the forests began to thin, and the ground steeped downward, leading them down into a deep ravine. The Cliffs on either side of them grew taller, making the ground below darker. They were getting closer to their destination. Suddenly, Remus began hitting James' shoulder, trying to get his attention._

"_Hey, hey! What in the world is that!?" The other two looked to where he was pointing and saw a massive black cloud in the distance. It was moving in a slow vortex above a large black silhouette, thunder crashing and lightning cracking, sending a shiver up the boys' spine. Sir James took a deep breath._

"_There it is…"_

"_Slytherinia." Sirius finished for him. They all glance at each other before James began walking once again, the others soon following. As they got closer, the Silhouette became clearer and more detailed, the lightning occasionally lighting its features. _

_The entire town had a dark, evil feel about it. There was a layer of fog covering the ground so they could barely see their own feel beneath them. All the buildings looked like they were rotting or dying and were made of stone, and seemed more like dungeons than houses. There was little light that could penetrate the dark cloud circling above them, and all warmth seemed to be sealed off as well. The street was practically empty; those that were out hissed and sneered at the newcomers, knowing that they did not belong. As they got closer to the center of the town, they noticed the large castle looming before them. It was old and dying looking, like everything else, and appeared to have been abandoned for years. It was towering and had a tall, intimidating wall surrounding it, the entrance gates firmly shut._

"_We have to get inside __there__!?" Sirius asked, looked at James incredulously. The knight merely nodded, to which Sirius shook his head before turning back to the fortress._

"_This gal better be worth it…" They arrived before the gates and, seeing them locked securely, began walking around the wall, looking for another way in. _

_They found it on the eastern side, where the wall had been overgrown with ivy and tall weeds. Remus went first, being the lightest of the group. He gripped the vines and, taking a deep breath, started pulling himself up, the others standing under him to catch him should he fall. _

_But the vines held fast, and soon Remus was on the other side, shouting at the others to hurry up while the coast as clear. James went next, and had little trouble joining Remus. Sirius had made it almost halfway up the wall, when one of the vines snapped in his hand. He quickly latched his now free hand back onto the wall, digging his nails into the bricks. Another vine broke under his foot. He let out a small yelp as he clung to whatever he could reach, trying desperately not to fall, for there was no one to catch him and the plummet would surely break something, if not kill him. _

"_Black! Are you alright?" Sir James yelled from the other side. Sirius looked down and gulped._

"_Uh, more or less. The ivy's not holding as well as it did for you two." James and Remus exchanged glances, trying to think of a way to help their friend. Suddenly Remus piped up._

"_Try to reach your sword! If you can get it out, you might be able to use it to pull yourself up!" Sirius grunted a reply before attempting to maneuver his body to reach his weapon. He gently eased his right hand off the wall, making sure he could still support himself. Seeing the vines would hold, he slowly reached down to his waist and drew his sword. However, just as he pulled it to his side, the ivy in his hand broke off from the wall. He felt his body start to fall backwards with nothing left to hold him. Quickly, he thrust his sword in front of him, the metal digging into the decaying stone. He held onto the hilt with both hands, his feet dangling beneath him in open air._

_He breathed a sigh of relief as he began pulling himself him, using his sword to keep him from falling. Remus and James breathed their own sighs of relief as their friend managed to land safely on the ground beside them a few minutes later. _

_Leaving the barrier behind them, they trekked through the waist-high weeds and soon enough found themselves at the castle door. It was locked, but the rotting wood was easily broken down by a few blows from Sir James' weapon. The inside of the building seemed almost colder than the outside. The long, winding corridors were dark and had an eerie feel to them. As they walked further into the citadel, they noticed that some of the wall torches were lit, but it only seemed to add to the uneasy feel with the flickering shadows dancing on the stones. Remus turned to James._

"_Alright, so the Princess is in here, but where?"_

"_She is said to be in the highest tower."_

"_Well, I see some stairs over there. That should be a good start." They nodded in agreement before making there way higher up into the fortress. They walked for what seemed like hours, jumping at every creaking noise the floor made, and snapping their heads around every time a bat flew past. As they started up yet another flight of stairs, Remus glanced out one of the windows. _

"_We're almost there I think." He thought for a moment. "This is too easy…" The other two agreed, but there was nothing they could do but continue on and hope that maybe it __was__ that easy. _

_But their hopes would soon be crushed, as mere moments later they found themselves breaking down the door to the high tower. There before them stood the evil wizard himself: Snivillus Snape! Behind him sitting by the window, was the red-haired beauty and Sir James' love, Princess Lillian. Hearing the commotion by the door, She immediately jumped to her feet._

"_Alas! My rescuers have arrived! They have come to save me just as I told you!" Snape growled at the intruders._

"_You dare try to steal away my princess!?" James stepped forward._

"_Let her go Snivillus! A fair maiden does not belong in the presence of a creature such as yourself." Snape growled._

"_We'll see about that!" Quickly he snapped his fingers, summoning three hideous, grey-skinned, winged demons through the window._

"_Lucius! Bellatrix! Narcissa! Take care of these ingrates at once!"_

"_Yesss Massster…" They hissed in unison. The beings were about the same size as our heroes, and the three found themselves forced back out of the room as the monsters lunged at them. Sirius and James drew their swords while Remus, who had no weapon of his own, grabbed a mace from one of the decorative suits of armor in the hallway. Wielding their weapons, the three were able to launch an attack of their own. They slashed and swung at the demons, but missed as the creatures were fast. They defended themselves as the demonic beings clawed and bit at them. Finally, seeing an opening, Remus let out a yell and managed to hit one of the demons square in the chest, sending it flying out the window next to it, screeching in pain. Remus glanced out and saw it disintegrate in a cloud of smoke and ash as it hit the ground. He then turned back and began attacking the one wrestling with James. James picked himself up off the ground and glanced at Remus who shouted at him,_

"_Go! Get the Princess! Sirius and I can handle these two!" After getting an affirming nod from Sirius, James' nodded and headed back in to the room with Snape and the princess. They both leapt to their feet, Snape out of anger and Lillian out of joy. James held his sword up._

"_For the last time, Snape! Let her go!" All he got was a sneer._

"_I don't think so!" Suddenly, Snivillus pulled a wand out of his cloak and shot a bolt of green lightning at James. He ducked to the ground, holding up his shield. Snape continued firing magic as James slowly made his way closer to the dark wizard. Finally, in between attacks from Snivillus, James swung his shield at his hand, effectively knocking this wand to the floor. Seeing he was now defenseless, Snape quickly ran from James and grabbed the princess, causing her to scream in terror._

"_NO!" James cried as he watched the wizard, in his desperation to not be defeated, pushed Princess Lillian out of the window she had been sitting by mere moments before. She screamed and Snivillus laughed at the horror on James' Face._

"_If I can't have her, no one will!!" _

"_YOU SON OF A-" But before he could complete his outraged cry, Snape grabbed his wand and, after giving Sir James a final smirk, disappeared in a cloud of deep purple smoke. James was left alone in the room._

_Just as he was ready to fall to his knees in defeat, he heard a voice call out his name._

"_JAMES!" Blinking, he listened again._

"_SIR JAMES! HELP!" Quickly running to the window, he looked out to see his fair maiden clinging to a flag pole for dear life._

"_My love! You're alive!"_

"_Yes, I am! And I would really appreciate some HELP RIGHT NOW!!!"_

"_Oh, right!" James swiftly looked around the room. He saw in the corner of the room, a long pile of rope, which he snatched up quickly before tossing it out the window for Lillian to grab. A moment later, he pulled the Princess in the window and embraced her lovingly._

"_Oh, noble knight! You have saved me!"_

"_I would give my life for you, my dear!" At that moment, Remus and Sirius ran into the room, grinning as they saw they had clearly won. James smiled and gestured to his companions._

"_But my love, I could not have done it without the help of these fine and noble warriors." Lillian smiled and walked over to the two, giving a small curtsy._

"_I owe my life to you, brave knights." She gave each of them a kiss on the cheek before returning to James._

"_Now, let us return to Gryffindoria. Home."_

_

* * *

_

_The next day, the kingdom celebrated the return of the three heroes and the princess. The king, eternally grateful for the return of his daughter, knighted Remus and gave both him and Sirius positions as part of his royal guard. They both accepted and were present for Sir James Potter and Princess Lillian Evans' wedding. They clapped as the groom kissed the bride, finally joining them together forever. At the reception, the four toasted each other and shared an embrace. James kissed his new bride passionately, and they all lived happily ever after…_

_

* * *

_

"The end."

"Well, kind of a corny ending line, but I suppose it's appropriate."

"'Appropriate'? Lily has to spend the rest of her life with _James_. How is that 'happily ever after'?" Sirius was rewarded with a hard punch on the shoulder from James.

"Ow! Come on mate, you know I was just kidding!" James mumbled before turning to look in front of him. He started snickering and the other two joined him as they followed his gaze.

Peter was fast asleep.

"So when do you think we lost him?" Remus questioned, grinning.

"I think somewhere around 'perfectly normal, partially cloudy, warm weather'." Sirius responded with a sly smirk.

"Wow, it's really late now. I think I'm ready for bed too." The others agreed and after exchanging good nights, found themselves once again in bed with the lights off.

And as they drifted off, each had a smile on their face. Their dreams filled with their own fantasies. Whether it be the embrace of one they love, freedom from their prison or freedom from their curse. None would deny, it was the best sleep they had all year.

* * *

**THE END!!!**

**Well, I really hope you liked it! Also, to clear a few things up, I know parts of this seem corny or cliche, but I wrote it that way intentionally. Cause seriously, it's the Marauders telling a fairy tale. What do you expect?**

**Also, I know there isn't a lot of Peter in here, but I'm gonna be honest... I'm just not that good at writing him (Probably cause I don't like him that much). I actually want to do more with him in my other stories, but for this one I just gave him a smaller part. Hope ya'll don't mind too much!  
**

**Another thing, for part of the ending, I know Lucius, Bellatrix, and Narcissa would normally never be Snape's minions, but for the fairy tale, he rules over them, not the other way around.  
**

**Also, I didn't realize this till I finished, but the ending's kinda sad since Remus is the only one whose fantasy doesn't eventually come true (Since James does marry Lilly and Sirius does run away from home later in life). But, that's just my random musings. Thanks for reading and PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!  
**


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